Cattle-guard and signal.



H. F. McLEY. CATTLE GUARD AND SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. I917-Patented Dec. 11,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. F. McLEY.

CATTLE GUARD AND SIGNAL. APPLlCATION man FEB.'2I. I917- ]Patented Dec.11, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'H. F. 'McLEY. CATTLE cum AND SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED FEB 2|. 19'7-1,249,796, Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Specification of Letters liatent.

a easement February .21, 1917. Serial. no; 150,099.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l; time FRANKLIN lldCLEY, acitizen of the United Eltartes residing at Patto-nsburg, in the countyo'l pa viess, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful @attle-(iuard and Signal; and I do hereby declare the iollbwing to be full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains tomake and usethe same.

This invention relates iii generalv to cattle guards and is particularlya guard of this character to be used at railroad crossings.

llts principal object is to provide a guard having gates at each side ofthe highway which the track crosses that can be moved trackconstruction. at the point where it is installed.

A fourth object is to provide for the at tachment of a signal that willbe operated simultaneously with the guard by the same means thatoperates the guard.

Tn setting forth this invention no pretense is made to mechanicalrefinement. The concomitant parts of the device are madedisproportionally large in order to more clearly illustrate theiroperation.

The uniform system of designating the parts obtains in all. of theseveral figures of the drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a plan of the invention.

Fig. :2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

l ig. 4.- illustrates the same parts as Fig. 3, but the gates are shownin their lowered position. This figure also shows in dotted lines thereversed position of the gates at the mo ment of being released after atrain has passed.

Fig. is a section on the line oil l1 Fig. 6 is a section on the line(5.6\Ot Il ig. 1.; It 7 shows the same parts as Fig. 6

but in their lowered position.

Fig. 8 is i a perspective view of the catch 33.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the rocker arm. ll. l y

Fig.10 a perspective view or the connecting rod A45.

This invention is illustrated as applied to a roadbed having the ties 1to which are. attached the rails 2. Between a pair oli ties at one sideof the railroad crossing and a similar pair of ties at the other side ofthe crossing, the gates 8 are pivotally mounted by means of bracketbearing members 41-. se cured to the upper faces o'lt adjacent ties bymeans of appropriate bolts or lagscrews. As integral parts thereof, thegate 3 has the transverse rod 41-, the sl'latt member 5, the U-shapedcrank 6 and the narrow gate memher 7. A bifurcated upturned end 8 isadapted to receive one end of the spring 9, a pin 10 effecting theconnection beavecn the two. Colunms 11 and 153 are positioned. directlyabove the upturned on d s 8.. one column being stationed on one side ofthe highway and the other on the opposite side. These columns arecircular in section and are.=.;upported by their spreading legs thatterminate in circular bosses i l by which the columns 11 and 12 areattached tothc ties by means of appropriatebolts or lag-screws. Bothcolumns 11 and F2 are hollow, holes ex tending from the crotches betweenthe legs to their tops. Tn the case of the column ll, the sprin 9extends up into the interior and secured therein by pin 15 which passesthrough and is friction ally held in holes formed in the walls of thecolumn. ilin the case oil the column 12 the spring 9 connects with a rodmember 16 that is in pivotal. engagement at its upper end with the tailoil a signal 17'. This signal is pivoted between the arms 18 which areintegral parts oi the column 12.

Outside of the rails 2 and on the same side of the traclr. as thecolumns ll. and 12 are the throw-bars 19. At one end they are in pivotalengagement with the cross bars 21 of the narrow gate "t that are on thside oi the track. "This i i" 7 fl is cl? Patented Dec. 11,1917.

lllll fected by means of the heads 20 which are separable into halves topermit their attachment, suitable cap-screws holding the two halvestogether. At the end remote of 20 the throw-bars 19 are formed into thepeculiar shape shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7, the rounded end 22 abuttingthe semi-circular cam member 23, when the bars 19 are in their normalposition. The cam member 23 is attached to one of the ties by having itsintegral spiked projection 24 driven thereinto and the guide plates 25are attached, one on each side of the cam member by. means of anappropriate bolt 26 which passes through all three. The circular slots27 are formed in the plates 25 and a pin 28, held frictionally in theenlarged end of the throw-bar 19, movesin the slots. The radius of theseslots is equal to the distance between the center of the shaft 5 and thecenter of the cross-bar 21. This arrangement permits the throw-bar 19 tobe maintained parallel with the track throughout its whole movement. Thethrow-bar 19 is curved on the under surface where it blends into theenlarged ends, this curving permitting the round projection 22 to moveon either side of the cam member A projection carried by the locomotiveand narrow enough to pass freely between the plates 25 is adapted tocontact with the enlarged end of the throw -bar and force it down, asshown in Fig. 7. In the drawings this projeetion is shown as a pivotallysupported roller 29. The description of the throw-bar 19 has been madein the singular but it applies equally to the other throw-bar on theopposite side of the crossing.

Connecting rods 30 connect the crankmembers 6 of the two gates 3 andserve to transmit to one gate and its attendant parts the movementimparted to the other gate. These rods connect pivotally with the crankmembers 6 and the pivotal engagement is efl'ected by means of the heads31 which are similar to the heads 20 of the throw bars, being separableinto halves to permit their attachment.

Attached to one of the ties by an appropriate means is an angle plate 32and this has pivotally mounted on it a catch 33 with 'a projection 34emanating from its side and a similar projection 35 emanating from itsback end. Projection 34 connects with a spring 36 that attaches also toa pin 37 fixed in the tie. The top edge of the catch is tapered andbelow this tapered edge a recess 38 is formed, in which the cross rod 40engages when the gate 3 is lowered. The protuberance 39, when the catchis vertical, abuts the tie and retains the catch in a vertical positionagainst the tension of the spring 36. Pivoted on a tie close to the onecarrying the catch is a rocker arm 41 whose one end is connected to thecatch by a spring rod 42 and whose other end connects with the lever 43through the medium of the connecting rod 44. The rod -llengages therocker arm pivotally between the bitureations -15, there being somevertical freedom of movement of the pivotal point to permit the rod toassume an angular position when operating the catch. lVhere the rod -l-lengages the lever 43, it is cut away leaving a projection 46 throughwhich pivotal engagement is efi'ected with a similar projection 47formed on the lever 43. For the attachment of 43 two angle plates areprovided. These are fixed to the tie by any appropriate means andsupport 43 between them at the pivotal point 49.

The drawings show a roller 50 adapted to be carried by the rear car of atrain and designed to contact with the lever 43 to release the gates 3after they have been thrown down by the roller 29 carried by the engine.

The normal position of the mechanism is that shown in Figs. 1 and 2,this position being maintained by the spring 9 in column 11 and partlyby spring 9 in column 12 where the weight of the signal applies somepull to the spring. An approaching train has a device (similar to roller29) which is carried by the locomotive. This device impinges on thethrow-bar 19 and moves it forward causing it to assume the positionshown in Fig. 7. The gate 3 and narrow gates 7 being integral parts of awhole and the throw-bar being connected with one of the narrow gates 7,the gate 3 and all its attendant parts are thus thrown down toward thetrack by the forward movement of the throw-bar. But the two gates arelinked together, hence the movement imparted to one will be transmittedto the other, therefore, when the throw-bar is moved forward both gateswill be lowered and the opposite throw-bar will assume a position withrespect to its cam 23 the opposite of the throwbar that eifected theoperation. The slots 27 would be sufiicient to properly guide thethrow-bar in its movement but the cam is provided to relieve the slotsof undue strain at the moment of impact of the roller 29 with thethrow-bar. The lowering of the gates 3 is effected against the tensionof spring 9 in column 11 and the similar spring 9 in column 12 operates(through the rod 16) to raise the signal 17. At their lowest positionsone of the gates 3 has its cross bar 40 engage in the recess 38 of oneof the latches 33 where it remains and keeps both gates lowered untilthe train has passed when a device on the rear car (similar to roller50) contacts with and moves the lever 43 causing it to move the latch(through its various connections with the latch) and rclease the gateswhich the spring 9 in eolunm 11 then operates to r store to theirnormal: positions.

48. The inactive lever is required to move] in a direction t1: oppositeoi its normal.

movement and, as the movement of the latch to a reverse position isn'evented by the protuberance 3f), the lever 43 yields by bending thespring rod il-Z.

The lowering and release of the gates can be effected on either side ofthe highway crossing,- thus making it possible to operate them by trainsmoving in either direction.

l vhat is claimed is:

1. lln a cattle guard and signal, gates on either side of a highwaycrossing and across a railroad track, pivotal supports for said gates,said gates having shat't members with crank members attached thereto,connect- :ing rods connecting the crank members of: opposite gates,throw-bars separately cngaging a crank member of each gate and adaptedto be moved longitudinally by means atlixed to the locomotive to eiiectthe lowering of the gates, guide plates for the throw-bars, pin membersfor the throw bars, circular slots in the guide plates in which the pinmembers are adapted to slide, cam members between the guide plates,projections on the throw-bars and adapted to abut the cam members whenthe throw-bars are in their normal position, means for re leasing thegates, a signal, connections be tween the gates and the signal for thesimultaneous operation of the signal, and a spring tensioning means forrestoring the gates to their normal position after release.

In a cattle guard and signal, gates on either side of a highway crossingand across a railroad track, pivotal supports for said gates, said gateshaving shaft members with crank members attached thereto, connectingrods connecting the crank members of opposite gates, throw-barsseparately engaging a crank member of each gate and adapted to be movedlongitudinally by means ailiXed to the locomotive to effect the loweringoi. the gates, guide plates iior the throw-bars, pin members for thethrowbars, circular slots in the guide plates in which the pin membersare adapted to slide, cam members between the guide plates, projectionson the throw-bars and adapted to abut the cam members when the throwbars are in their normal position, a spring operated catch for retainingthe gates in their lowered position, means adapted to be operated by adevice carried on the rear car of the train for operating the catch torelease the Vl hen the gates are lowered in one tlirecti m,,the latch 38and lever 13, on the same side with the throw-bar that of fected thelowering, remains inactive, but

gates, a signal, connections between the gates and the signal for thesimultaneous operation of the signal, and a spring tensioning means forrestoring the gates to their normal position after release.

In a cattle guard and signal, gates on either side of a highway crossingand across a railroad track, pivotal supports for said gates, saidhaving shaft members with crank members attached thereto, connectingrods connecting the crank members oil opposite gates, throw-barsseparately engaging a crank member (IE each gate and adapted to be movedlongitudinally by means affixed to the locomotive to effect the lowen inof the gates, guide plates for the throwbars, pin members for thethrow-bars, circular slots in the guide plates in which the pin membersare adapted to slide, cammemhers between the guide plates, projectionson the throw-bars and adapted to abut the cam members when thethrow-bars are in their normal position, spring operated. MiCllbS torretaining the gates in their lowered position, levers pivotally mountedon the ties and adapted to be operated by a device carried on the rearcar of the train, rocker arms pivoted on the ties, connecting rodsbetween the lovers of the rocker arms, connecting rods between therocker arms and the catches, a signal, connections between the gates andthe signal. for the simultaneous operation at the signal, and a springtensioning means -for restoring the gates to their normal position afterrelease.

41-. lin a cattle guard and signal, gates on either side of a highwaycrossing and across a railroad track, pivotal supports for said gates,said gates having shaft members with crank members attached thereto,connecting rods connecting the crank members oi: opposite gates,throw-bars separately engaging a, crank member ol each gate and adaptedtobe moved longitudinally by means atliXed to the locomotive to eliectthe lowering of the gates, guide plates for the throw-bars, pin membersfor the throw-bars, circular slots in the guide plates in which the pinmembers are adapted to slide, cam members between the guide plates,projections on the throw-bars and adapted to abut the cam members whenthe throw-bars are in their normal position, spring operated catches forretaining the gates in their lowered position, levers pivotally mountedon the ties and adapted to be operated by a device carried on the rearcar of the train, rocker arms pivoted on the ties, connecting rodsbetween the levers of the rocker arms, connecting rods between therocker arms and the catches, a signal, a spring tensioning meansconnected with one of the gates for roster-- ing them both to theirnormal. positions after release, a similar spring tensioning till hil

means connecting the other of the gates name to this specification inthe presence of with the signal, it hollow eolllumn attlaehed twosubscribing Witnesses. to the ties and su ortin t e si na and T s 1 r asimilar hollow co h imn at tached t o the ties HENR1 LRANKLIN MGLIA' forsupporting the spring means that re- Witnesses: stores the gates totheir normal position. JOHN T. VVITTEN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my RAY ENDICOTT.

Sopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

